Defining Minerals
Which of the following is inorganic?
A. sugar
B. quartz
C. coal
D. amber
B. quartz
Which of the following is a mixture?
A. pure water (H2O)
B. soil
C. salt (sodium chloride)
D. iron
B. soil
Quartz scratches a fingernail but talc does not. Which mineral is harder?
quartz
Which of the following methods is the most common for obtaining minerals and ores?
A. drilling wells
B. mining
C. evaporation
D. dredging
BONUS: Name two dangers of this method.
B. mining
cave ins, ecosystem destruction
_______ is a unit of purity (metals)
while ________ is a unit of mass (gemstones).
carat / karat
karat, carat
All ______ are _______, but not all _______ are _______.
"crystals" / "minerals"
All minerals are crystals, but not all crystals are minerals.
Give one example of a compound mineral.
quartz, amethyst, salt, etc.
True or False: All minerals can be tested for streak color.
False. Not all minerals leave a streak on a ceramic plate.
The most abundant family or class of minerals in the earth’s crust is the __________________________.
silicates
What mineral is the best conductor of electricity?
silver
Which of the following has definite chemical composition?
A. diamond
B. sand
C. stained glass
D. sandstone
A. diamond
Name three things a mineralogist would do.
identify, classify, and analyze minerals
Which of the following tests would provide the best example of a mineral’s color?
A. its visual appearance
B. its streak
C. its luster
D. its flame test
B. its streak
Name three native minerals and their uses.
gold - jewelry, electronics
copper - wiring, pipes
silver - mirrors, electronics, dental fillings
platinum - catalytic converters
The process by which a crystal grows is called ______.
A. crystallization
B. precipitation
C. accretion
D. excretion
C. accretion
Which of the following has a crystalline structure but is NOT a mineral?
A. salt crystals
B. ice crystals
C. crystal glass goblets
D. sugar crystals
D. sugar crystals
What is the difference between a mineral's color and luster?
color - shade of the mineral itself according to light wavelength (red, green, blue, etc.)
luster - amount and quality of light reflected from the surface of the mineral (metallic / nonmetallic)
A mineral’s crystal classification deals mostly with its _________________.
A. color
B. streak
C. shape
D. cleavage
C. shape
How are diamond crystals different from graphite crystals if they are both made of pure carbon atoms?
diamond crystals form 3D molecules, while graphite forms layers of carbon; diamond forms under intense heat and pressure, such as inside volcanoes
Oxides contain the element _______ bonded with a ________.
oxygen, metal
Name all five properties of a mineral.
- naturally occurring
- inorganic
- crystalline
- solid
- definite chemical composition
Name five native minerals.
gold, silver, platinum, copper, aluminum, iron, sulfur, silicon, etc.
What are you looking for when you conduct an acid test on a mineral?
BONUS: What does a "positive" acid test tell you about the chemical composition of the mineral?
bubbles; it is a carbonate, sulfide, or sulfite
Why are oxides, sulfides, and carbonates important?
oxides - bauxite is a source of aluminum
sulfides - used to make sulfuric acid, often contain other minerals
carbonates - used in manufacturing
_______ describes how a mineral such as mica can be broken into sheets, while ______ describes how minerals such as quartz break with no distinct planes forming.
cleavage, fracture